FIBA - France, Japan, Croatia and Angola rise in Ranking Women

MIES (FIBA) - The top three in the FIBA Ranking Women remains unchanged following the conclusion of the 2013 continental championships but there are some interesting changes further on down.

The United States, Australia and Russia have remained first, second and third, respectively.

The only change in the top 16 involves a couple of European teams, with EuroBasket Women 2013 runners-up France having leapfrogged the Czech Republic into fourth place.

The Czechs are now fifth, while European champions Spain, Brazil, China, Canada and Belarus round out the top 10.

The Brazilians finished third at the FIBA Americas Championship for Women in Xalapo, Mexico and China over the weekend clinched third at the FIBA Asia Championship for Women in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Chinese have retained their status as the highest ranked team from their zone, with Asian runners-up Korea still at No. 11.

Canada were runners-up in the Americas and Belarus were fifth at the EuroBasket Women in France.

Every team in the top 10 except Russia managed to qualify for next year's FIBA World Championship for Women.

The Russians won just once at the EuroBasket Women and failed to progress from the opening round.

The USA weren't in action in Mexico, having booked their place for Turkey 2014 when they won Olympic gold medal in London in 2012.

Japan, winners at the FIBA Asia Championship for the first time in 43 years, have moved ahead of Mali into 17th, with the African nation dropping a place following their fifth-place result at AfroBasket Women 2013.

Croatia, after advancing to the Second Round at the EuroBasket Women, have risen to 19th and the winners of the AfroBasket Women, Angola, have moved up three places to joint-20th with Senegal.

The team the Angolans beat in the African title game, tournament hosts Mozambique, have remained at No. 38.

They will be the lowest ranked team at Turkey 2014.

Greece and New Zealand have fallen out of the top 20.

The Greeks have dropped three places to 22nd and New Zealand one to 23rd.

World Championship-bound Serbia, after a fourth-place finish at the EuroBasket Women, have moved up three spots to No. 29.

Jamaica and Mexico are now joint-30th, with the former rising six places and the latter three.

Nigeria have suffered the biggest fall in the top 35, dropping six places to 32nd after collecting just three wins in their eight games at the AfroBasket Women.

The biggest climbers in the top 35, meanwhile, were Venezuela.

They have gone up 11 places to 35th after coming in eighth at the FIBA Americas Championship for Women.

Ukraine, having participated in the EuroBasket Women, have moved up 18 spots to No 43.

Their jump is the biggest in the rankings.

Poland (39th), Germany (42nd) and Romania (55th) all failed to qualify for the EuroBasket Women and have plummeted.

The Poles and Germans have each fallen 11 places and Romania 14.

Click here to view the full FIBA Ranking Women.

The FIBA Combined Ranking - which takes into account the rankings for Men, Women, Boys and Girls - will be updated in late November.

FIBA